Cash register and indicator



Patented Jan. I0. I899.

E. B. HESS. CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

(Application filed July 28, 1896.)

2-Sheets Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 69,485. Patented Jan. l0, I899. E. B. HESS.

CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

;Application filed July 28, 1896.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVARI) l HESS, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE METROPOLITAN REGISTER COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK.

CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,485, dated January 10, 1899.

Application filed July 28, 1896. Serial No. 600,836. (No model.)

To (all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. HESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash Registers and Indicators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that style or type of registers and indicators in which rotary indicators are mounted in series on a horizontal axis and show through sight-openings in the case to indicate to the purchaser or others in the establishment the'amouut of the sale or transaction. Machines of this character are variously constructed and arranged, some, commonly known as back-counter machines, having the sight-opening in the 2 5 front of the case. These are usually located on a shelf or other support back of the counter and behind the salesman or clerk, so that in operating the machine he turns his back to the customer and occupies a position between the latter and the machine, thus obstructing the customers View. Other machines, known as flOIll3-COll11l3Gl machines, have the sight-opening in the back of the case and are designed to occupy a position on the 3 5 counter between the customer and the clerk or salesman, the latter thus facing the customer when operating the machine.

My invention relates more particularly to machines of the character shown and de- 40 scribed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 552,463, issued on the 3lst day of Decemher, 1895, to the Metropolitan Register Company, of New York, as assignee of J. 13. Benton and myself, in which two sets of indicators, geared together in pairs and operated from or by actuating mechanisms eommon to both, are employed, one to indicate to the customer or to others in the establishment the amount set up and registered and the other for the clerk or operator, to enable him to Observe the working of the machine and to see when the proper amount is set up.

In said patented machine the sight-openings for both sets of indicators are in the front of the case, making the machine essentially a back-counter machine. I now propose to provide a front-counter machine having the same general characteristics as that shown and described in the aforementioned patent, but having a different form of actuating-gear for driving the indicator and register wheels.

In the prior patent, the two sets of indicators being viewed from the front of the machine, the wheels are necessarily arranged to read in the same direction-that is, both sets read from the left of the machine toward the right, the term left having reference to the lefthand end as viewed from the front. Now, however, one set of wheels being viewed from the back and the other from the front, it becomes necessary to the proper reading of the indications that the wheels of the two sets be arranged in reverse order. The manner of gearing corresponding wheels of the two sets together forms the gist of this invention, which will now be described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the machine from front to rear, showing only so much of the mechanism as is necessary to give an understanding of the invention. Fig.

2 is a front view of the two sets of indicators and the gearing for actuating them. Fig. 3

is a section of the back indicators; and Fig.

4:, a detail view showing the arrangement of the front indicators, the register-wheels, and the escapement for controlling the movements of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 1 designate the frame-standards, which, with the transverse 9o shafts and rods whereby they are connected together, form the frame of the machine. On

a shaft 11 are loosely mounted four indicatorwheels 13, 13*, 13 and 13, designed to indicate, respectively, cents, tens of cents, dollars, and tens of dollars. At the side of each of these wheels is loosely mounted a registerwheel 15, each being formed with ten radial teeth, (see Fig. 4,) with which anchor-escapements 19, provided with key-levers 20, coroo operate to control their movements.

Formed on or rigidly connected to the sides of the respective indicatorwheels 13,13,&c., are pinions 16, 16", 1.6", and 16, which are in gear with segments 17, 17, 17", and 17, mounted on a shaft 18. Springs 19, coupled with arms 2O of the segments, tend to draw the latter constantly backward and rotate the indicator-wheels in a forward direction. The wheels 13, 13, &c., carry pawls 21, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) which engage backwardly-pointing ratchet-teeth 22, formed on the sides of the register-wheels 15, whereby when the escapements are operated the register-wheels are carried forward with the respective indicator-wheels under the propelling force of the springs 19. This pawl-andratchet arrangement permits the indicatorwheels to be turned back independently to reset to zero after each operation preparatory to the next. The means which I propose to employ for resetting the indicators to zero are described and claimed in another application, and since the same forms no part of and has no necessary connection with the present invention I have not considered it necessary to show or describe such resettingmechanism herein.

The indicators 13, 13, &c., are for the use and convenience of the clerk or operator, as above set forth, and they are visible through a sight-opening 28 in the front of the case.

Above and in rearof the indicators 13, 13, &c., is a second series of indicator-wheels 11, 11, 11, and 1 1-", loosely mounted on a rod 12 at the top of the frame. These wheels, which are visible through a sight-opening 29 in the back of the case, are also geared with and actuated by the segment-gears 17, as follows: As viewed from the frout,the right-hand wheel 13 of the lower series and the left-hand wheel 11 of the upper series are designed to indicate cents, 13 and 11" tens of cents, 13 and 11 dollars, and 13 and 14 tens of dollars. It therefore becomes necessary to the proper operation of the machine to gear across from one of these wheels to the other, so that corresponding wheels of the two series may turn in unison to give the same indication at both sides. The wheel 11, which is the lowest or cents wheel of the series, is provided with a tubular stem 10, which is loosely mounted on the rod 12 to turn thereon. This sleeve extends to the right through all the other wheels of the series (see Fig. 3) and has rigidly mounted on its end a pinion 50, with which the segment-gear 17 also meshes,so that by the movement of said segment the two wheels 13 and 11 are rotated in unison, itbeing of course understood that the two--16 and 50are of the same size, so that the two wheels with which they are connected turn through corresponding angular distances.

The wheel 11-, which is of the same order as and corresponds with the wheel 13, is provided with a tubular stem 41, which extends to the left through the wheels 1i and 114, being loosely sleeved on the stem 4.0, so as to turn freely thereon. At its end it is provided with a pinion 51, with which the rack 17 also meshes. This rack thus imparts motion to the corresponding wheels 13 and 11- of the two sets of indicators, giving corresponding indications on both.

The wheel 1-! corresponds with the wheel 13. It has a tubular sleeve or stem 12, which extends to the right through the adjacent wheel 11 and is provided at its end with a pinion 52, with which the segment-gear 17 also meshes, said segment thus actuating the two corresponding wheels 11 and 13 to indicate tens of cents.

The wheel 1-1 has a short tubular stem 13, which extends to the left into the plane of the segment-gear 17 where it is provided with a pinion 58, which is also in mesh with said segment, the two wheels 1% and 13" being thus geared together to move synchronously through equal angular distances. 3y this system of gearing back and forth from right to left and left to right I am enabled to construct a double indicator to indicate both in front and rear without eneumbering the same with a mutiplicity of gears and without adding materially to the cost, the only additional expense being the tubular stems or sleeves.

lVhile I show and describe an indicator with four wheels in series, it will be understood that the number may be increased at pleasure. For ordinary uses four wheels will be found sufficient.

Having now described my invention, I claim- In a cash-indicator the combination of a series of rotary indicators mounted on a horizontal axis to indicate in one direction, each having a pinion connected therewith, a second series mounted on an axis parallel to that of the first, and arranged and adapted to indicate in the opposite direction, the wheels of one series having tubular stems sleeved together, and the several stems provided with pinions which stand in the planes of those on the other series of indicators, and spring-actuated driving-gears in mesh with the pinions of corresponding indicators of the two series.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDIVARD l3. HESS.

\Vitnesses:

N. M. STOUGHTON, Josnrn M. S'rovcnrox.

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